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Enrichment Works Presents A New Play For Students And Community Members

By Lauren Sharkey

Sunday, May 13, 2018 | 1:42 pm

Lovers of the dramatic arts will appreciate all too well the benefits of watching a play. Full of emotion (including laughter, sadness and warmth), a well-written play should leave you thinking for weeks.

New Horizon School in Pasadena played host to a thoughtful production. Entitled Shizzy’s Story, the play focused on the plight of Japanese Americans in the World War II era and the similar struggles faced by Muslim Americans today.

The tale was inspired by the story of Shizuko Akasaki and her dual identity life experiences during the World War.

Shizzy’s Story was performed on April 25 at New Horizon School Pasadena with guests including parents of schoolchildren and numerous members of the local community.

“…it had a powerful impact on the students and on the adults,” says Rania Saleh, Administrator for New Horizon.

Shizuko herself was also in attendance, taking part in a special Q&A session after the performance.
Rania tells us, “She watched the play, how the actors would play her story, and then she went on stage and we got to ask her questions. One of the questions, interestingly, was did the experience make her think anything differently about Japan or her ancestry? She said no, she is a proud American with a Japanese ancestry and she feels greatly about both identities. She wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The actors making this story come to life were Alison Minami, who is known for roles in 2017 comedy Small Claims and action series Hit, and Ricky Pak who has previously starred in the movie adaptation of Grand Theft Auto V and the forensic comedy series Bones.

The New Horizon School in Pasadena is committed to education that teaches their students how to appreciate history. The saying goes: Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it, and New Horizon School is working to give their students a healthy respect for history, and those who lived through those times.

New Horizon School Pasadena is located at 651 N. Orange Grove Blvd, in Pasadena. For more information call (626)795-5186 or visit http://newhorizonschool.org/.